News Story

US Youth Soccer players Sean Coyne, Hudson, Ohio, and Payce Madden, Lancaster, Penn., are the inaugural recipients of the US Youth Soccer William J. "Billy" Goaziou Scholarships. Both players have key roles on their soccer teams as well as in their communities.

The scholarships are awarded for post-secondary education. The two $1,000 scholarships are awarded based on community service, giving back to the game of soccer and to honor the memory of William J. "Billy" Goaziou for his outstanding services for soccer and US Youth Soccer. The scholarships are awarded annually through the US Youth Soccer Foundation to one male and one female recipient.

Sean Coyne's Under-18 Boys Everest SC team made it to the finals of the prestigious US Youth Soccer National Championships last summer. The Under-18 Everest Soccer Club team won its state championships in 2004, 2006 and 2007 as well. Coyne also played varsity for Walsh Jesuit High School and served for two years as team captain. In 2008, he was named both MVP and defensive MVP and also on the All-State and All-District teams. He is certified as a USSF Grade 8 referee. In addition to his successes on the field, Coyne was a four-year honor roll member. With over 170 service hours during high school, he helped his community by volunteering at St. Al's Food Bank in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, tutoring inner-city elementary school students and assisting with home repairs and athletic events. In the fall, he will attend the University of Rochester in N.Y.

Payce Madden will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall. She was the starting defender for Hempfield Travel Soccer and Penn Legacy Travel Soccer since the first grade. In addition to playing, she holds the USSF Level "E" Coaching License and USSF Grade 8 Referee License. She has served as an assistant for Under-9 and Under-10 Girls for the past three years. Madden has refereed more than 100 games as both a center and an assistant referee. In addition to playing soccer, she is also co-captain of the Hempfield women's rugby team. Madden was also a frequent exhibitor at the Hempfield High School Art Exhibit and Fashion Exhibit. She is successful in the classroom as well. Madden is a National Merit Semifinalist, is in the National Honor Society, Society for Academic Excellence in a Foreign Language and was on the Youth Peace Council as a freshman and the Pennsylvania Mathematics League State Championships team her junior year.

"US Youth Soccer strives to develop players' skills as well as their characters. Both Sean and Payce have taken the important life lessons that soccer offers its participants and given back to the game and their communities. US Youth Soccer is proud to remember Billy Goaziou by contributing to the lives of these young adults as they continue to succeed and move forward to college this fall," said Larry Monaco, president of US Youth Soccer. "Goaziou would be humbled to know his legacy continues to give back to our players."

Goaziou was involved in soccer for more than 25 years as a coach and administrator. He served as treasurer of US Youth Soccer and the Florida Youth Soccer Association, as well as chairman of the US Youth Soccer Budget and US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Committees. In 1994, he took office as the U.S. Soccer Federation's Treasurer and was re-elected four times (1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004). Beyond the soccer world, Goaziou served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps.

About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) – US Youth Soccer - "The Game for ALL Kids!®" is the largest youth sports organization in the country and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member State Associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more information, visit www.USYouthSoccer.org.

Media Request: When referring to the United States Youth Soccer Association, the largest youth sports organization in the United States, please refer to the association only as US Youth Soccer, and never as USYS or USYSA. We appreciate your cooperation.

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